ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: plane · straw · pitch · arm · current · fork · band · bay

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. fork — in a road
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. band — a music group
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. current — happening now
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. current — of water
  19. band — a ring
  20. pitch — completely
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. plane — a tool
  24. current — electric

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com